The Times - UK (2022-04-04)

(Antfer) #1

the times | Monday April 4 2022 2GM 55


Sport


being a good father and husband, has
actually been a psychological “crutch”
and a sign of being soft on himself.
Trying to straddle different parts of
his character — the accessible nice guy
and the competitor — may be perfectly

encapsulated by having an old friend,
Harry Diamond, as caddie. As one golf
source says: “Harry wouldn’t be caddie
for any of the other world’s top 50, but
Rory sees it differently in wanting a
friend he trusts on the bag.”

enjoying it so much right now he wants
to play until he’s 70.”
Then McIlroy, having changed his
preparation for Augusta away from the
WGC-Dell Match Play to compete in
the Valero Texas Open, missed the cut
on Friday. His even-par first round
included six birdies, as he drove well,
but also six bogeys with some wayward
approach shots. A one-over 73 on Fri-
day, including a solitary birdie, hardly
seemed to justify Rotella’s optimism as
McIlroy made the early journey home.
There will not be too much of the
“hype train” that McIlroy believes has
derailed him at times heading into
Augusta. Indeed, it will be progress just
to be right in the mix on Sunday.
The closest McIlroy has come to
winning a major since Valhalla was in
Carnoustie at the 2018 Open when
second behind Francesco Molinari —
his only time within five shots in a
major since his last victory. “I always
seem to play well when people don’t


‘Rory’s in a great place right now and wants to play until he’s 70’


continued from 56-57 give me a chance,” McIlroy said lastweek — but it raises the question of


how he will manage if he does put
himself in the hunt next Sunday.
McIlroy’s “problem”, is that he was so
exceptional so young that it was always
going to be hard to maintain that level,
especially in a sport with such psycho-
logical challenges. He talks about a
“loss of innocence” as he realised post-
2014 that the game could become much
more complicated. More than most
leading athletes, McIlroy wrestles very
publicly with those struggles.
How many other sportsmen talk, as
McIlroy once did to Paul Kimmage for
the Irish Independent, about worrying
that he could become a “a narcissist” if
he became too obsessed with winning.
As Kimmage pointed out, that has not
stopped plenty of golfing rivals. Nick
Faldo had his kids induced so that he
would not miss out on a tournament.
“I don’t want to define myself by
being the best golfer in the world,”
McIlroy has said — yet, in that podcast,
he admitted that talk of a life balance,

After 15 years on tour — in which he
has lived in Monaco and Dubai before
settling in Florida — McIlroy says that
his priority is to rediscover and keep his
boyish love for the sport over the years
ahead. Rotella tells him that he has the
chance to chase his dreams.
“That seems pretty cool,” McIlroy
says. “I get to chase my dreams for a
living.”
But are they still in reach? Chubby
Chandler, his former agent, bumped
into McIlroy a few months ago. “Every-
one’s worried about you,” Chandler told
him. “I’m really not sure why.”
“Rory laughed,” Chandler says. “And
that’s the shame of it. We put this load
of pressure on him, but I don’t under-
stand all the conjecture about Rory.
“He has an unbelievably happy life.
His wife and daughter, his mum and
dad close by in Jupiter and a shit-load of
cash in the bank — is it all about how
many majors he wins?”
Good question. And McIlroy, more
than any of us, still seems to be grap-
pling with the answer.

Continued from
back page
hospital for months and
wondering whether he
would ever walk again.
Six weeks ago he said he
had “a long way to go” in
his recovery programme.
He is due to give a
press conference mid-
morning tomorrow and
his decision is likely to
be announced then, if
not before.
The 46-year-old has
not played on the PGA

Tour since the 2020
Masters. His only event
since the accident came
last December when he
finished runner-up
alongside his son in a
36-hole exhibition played
on a flat course with no
rough.
Playing at Augusta
National, however,
represents one of the
more taxing walks on
the PGA Tour.
But Woods is no
stranger to playing

through pain, something
he famously proved at
the 2008 US Open
where he prevailed in a
thrilling play-off at Torrey
Pines while competing
on what was essentially
a broken leg.
Woods capped one of
the most remarkable
comebacks in sport
when, at the age of 43,
he won the Masters in
2019 after enduring
years of surgery and
personal problems.

Woods practises at Augusta but undecided on playing


Oxford throw cox Jack Tottem into the river after beating Cambridge to win the Boat Race for the first time since 2017

JOE GIDDENS/PA

Cancelled in 2020 because of Covid and
moved to the Great Ouse last year —
where, as a handful of startled residents
of the Cambridgeshire village Little-
port spectated, police patrols kept out-
siders away — the Boat Race returned
to London yesterday.
After three successive Cambridge
victories, Oxford won the 167th men’s
race by 2¼ lengths in a time of 16min
47sec. Unlike the women’s race which
preceded it, Oxford were favourites.
Like the women’s race it went to type.
Cambridge won the coin toss, choos-
ing Middlesex, but for all that they
began cleanly, they were soon undone.
There would be no exchange of the
lead. Calmly coxed by Jack Tottem,
Oxford’s race was as ruthless as it was
perfect and by the end it was less of a
gruelling slog, more a cruise to victory.
Stroking long and languidly, Cam-
bridge faced an Oxford crew who were
less elegant but whose shorter
style was more powerful.
Oxford were marginally
ahead as they passed
Fulham FC’s Craven
Cottage. As both cox-
es tried to guide their
boat into the fastest
waters, the umpire, Sir
Matthew Pinsent,
warned both crews to
keep their distance in the
increasing headwind.
As they turned towards
Hammersmith Bridge, the point where
80 per cent of the leaders go on to win,
Oxford resisted Cambridge’s last heave
and pulled away. There was clear water
between the crews, who had switched
stations, and Cambridge had no more
left. In the ecstasy of victory, Oxford
roared as one in a cathartic howl. Cam-
bridge slumped, broken to a man.
Sean Bowden, Oxford head coach for
25 years, was ecstatic. “We were faster
all the time, to be honest. It looked


Oxford stop


rot on return


to Thames


promising from the first bend. For
myself, I’m a bit old to find another
career line, but the energy you get from
highly motivated young people is
extremely powerful. That makes you
keep wanting to test yourself out.”
For Angus Groom, an Olympic silver
medallist for Great Britain in Tokyo, his
first Boat Race was his last race as a
rower before he concentrates on his
research, based around studying the
early stages of leukaemia. “You’ll not
see me on a boat again unless it’s a beer
boat,” he said, pouring genuine Thames
water out of his wellington boots. “The
Boat Race has been on my bucket list
for years. I knew we had a strong squad,
but getting everyone from so many
rowing backgrounds to gel is astonish-
ing. It’s been a blast.”
This was Britain edging back to nor-
mal. Over 200,000 hardy souls lined
the Thames to watch an event that
harkens to a sepia-tinted time when
Victoria was on the throne, Britain
ruled the waves and being an amateur
rower was a noble calling for the future
elite.
“What I like,” said Melissa, a
student — “not Oxbridge,
not bright enough” — who
attended as a girl with her
parents and has now
strongarmed her initially
reluctant boyfriend to par-
take, “is that it’s traditional
but weirdly cutting edge.
True, you don’t see much, but
it feels like you’re at the centre
of 2022 Britain, just as you would if
you’d come here in 1922.”
Almost 200 years since Oxford’s men
won at Henley in the first race, the
stakes are higher, the training profes-
sional — six hours a day is not un-
known, even at exam time — albeit
with some Covid restrictions still in
place. Yet the essence of the men’s and,
since 1927, women’s races is broadly un-
changed and refreshingly simple. Yes-
terday, Oxford were quicker. It was that
simple and that joyous.

Men’s Boat Race
John Aizlewood


Men
Cambridge 85
Oxford 81
with one dead heat

Wo m en
Cambridge 46
Oxford 30

Cambridge won the 76th women’s Boat
Race and a fifth in a row with a victory
over Oxford by 2.25 lengths in a record
time of 18min 22sec.
Starting quickly, Cambridge eased
ahead from the first bend and were
never overtaken, although Jasper
Parish’s aggressive coxing led to con-
stant reminders from the umpire
to steer cleanly and an unsuccessful
Oxford appeal afterwards.
Oxford kept their shape impressively,
but they were outgunned by the power-
houses of Cambridge. As the teams
went under Hammersmith Bridge,
Oxford were closing, but Cambridge
chose their line, forced their opponents
wide and by the finish they were several
lengths ahead.

Cambridge women win in record time


All the portents had pointed to
Cambridge. Having won the previous
four races (after four successive Oxford
wins), their women remain dominant.
Four of their number won on the Great
Ouse last year.
As their coach, Paddy Ryan, noted of
his first year since being upgraded from
assistant: “Winning is not supposed to
be easy,” and, as if to prove his point, the
pre-race moment of unpredictability
went Oxford’s way when they won the
toss and chose the southern Surrey
side.
This victory, though, was relatively
easy. New Zealand’s Olympic gold
medallist Grace Prendergast added star
value to the Cambridge boat. The
world’s top-ranked female rower, who
is studying for an MPhil, said: “This is
huge.
“I had more messages of support

than for the Olympics. Winning this
makes everything worthwhile. It’s such
a privilege to be part of it.”
The medical student Imogen Grant
missed a medal in Tokyo for Britain by
a hundredth of a second. This helped to
ease her pain. “I feel really emotional
now,” she said.
“Everything went right. I’ve loved
every single session I’ve done with this
team. We always had something in the
bag.
“I’ve watched this race since I was a
girl and yearned to be part of it all my
life. Being part of it means more to me
than almost anything. This is absolutely
lovely.”
Bronya Sykes, an archaeology under-
graduate and president of Cambridge
University’s women rowers, won last
year too. Second time around, she said
the feeling was sweeter still.

Women’s Boat Race
John Aizlewood
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